Heddles



Oct. 31, 1967 F. H. KAUFMANN 3,349,811

' HEDDLES Filed Sept. 7. 1966 /NVE/VTO? FRAN/f H. KAUFMA/VN ATTO/PNE)lUnited States Patent O 3,349,811 HEDDLES Frank H. Kaufmann, HuntingdonValley, Pa., assiguor to Steel Heddle Manufacturing Company,Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Sept. 7, 1966,Ser. No. 579,454 6 Claims. (Cl. 139-96) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREHeddles for use with automatic drawing-in machines and other purposes inwhich each heddle has at the central portion thereof upper and lowerwarp eyes for reversibility end for end in the event of wear.

This application is a continuation in part of my prior application filedSept. 13, 1965, Ser. No. 486,932, now abandoned.

This invention relates to heddles used in weaving looms for the purposeof separating the warp ends into sheds for the passage of the shuttletherethrough to effect the weaving operation.

This invention further relates to heddles of the type which are madefrom a thin flat strip of metal or other suitable material, suitablypunched, and formed to the desired shape and which can also be used ininstallations in which automatic drawing-in machines are used forentering the warp in the harness, and for other purposes.

Heddles heretofore available for this purpose had a limited life sinceupon the occurrence of wear of the warp carrying eye the heddle wasdiscarded.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide heddles having a plurality ofvertically spaced warp carrying eyes but these were provided all facingin the same direction. This would involve serious problems of enteringif one warp eye was worn and it was desired to use another.Reversibility end for end cannot be achieved with warp carrying eyes allfacing in the same direction.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel formof heddle made from a thin iiat strip of metal, or other suitablematerial, which will have a longer useful life than heddles heretoforeemployed, and which, in one aspect, is also suitable for use withdrawingin machines of well known type.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heddlesuitable for use with drawing-in machines and for other purposes andwhich has a plurality of warp receiving eyes, either of which can beemployed upon turning of the heddle end for end, and which will ineither position present an open or left handed eye for the entering ofthe warp.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heddlesuitable for use with drawing-in machines and for other purposes, whichhas a plurality of warp receiving eyes and which can be readilyconstructed without presenting any manufacturing problems.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heddlesuitable for use with drawing-in machines and which has a plurality ofwarp receiving eyes for selective use and in which the eye selected foruse will not provide a tortuous path for the warp.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a heddle, andwhether or not for use with drawing-machines, which will upon turning onthe heddle rods present a warp receiving eye of proper hand for accessby the weaver.

Other objects and advantageous features will be apparent from thedescription and claims.

The nature and characteristic features of the invention will be morereadily understood from the following description, taken in connectionwith the accompanying drawing forming part hereof, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of a group of heddles in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 2-2of FIG. 1, and showing one of the heddles in side elevation;

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken approximately on the line 3-3of FIG. 1, and showing another of the heddles in side elevation, and

FIG. 4 is a view of another heddle in accordance with the invention witha plurality of warp receiving eyes presenting an upper open eye for oneposition of the heddle and the same eye open if the heddle is turned endfor end.

It should, of course, be understood that the description and drawingherein are illustrative merely and that various changes andmodifications may be made in the structure disclosed without departingfrom the spirit of the invention.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

In accordance with the present invention an improved heddle is providedwith a plurality of -warp receiving eyes, preferably one above and onebelow the center of the heddle, and respectively facing in differentdirections i.e., one an open or left handed eye and the other a lessaccessible or right handed eye, so that upon turning the heddle end forend the upper eye is always the same. The warp receiving eyes may havedisposed therebetween a keyhole slot oriented as desired for engagementlby the selector mechanism of the drawing-in machine.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings each of the heddles 10there shown is made from a thin flat strip of metal or wire, or othersuitable material, the stock preferably being of the full width of thefinished heddle. 4

The heddle 10 preferably has opposite end portions 11 of the full widthof the strip, a central portion 12 of the full width of the strip, andconne-cting portions 13 of reduced width to reduce the weight of theheddle 10.

The connecting portions 13 can, if desired, be provided with heddleseparating offsets or spacers 14 to space the heddles 10.

The end portions 11 of the heddles 10 can each be provided with amortise or slot 15 serving as a rod eye for mounting the heddles 10 onupper and lower heddle supporting rods 16.

One of the side Shanks 17 at each of the mortises is preferably cut awayat the side, as at 18, so as to permit the heddles to pass freely fromend to end on the heddle supporting rods 16 when said heddle rods 16 aresupported in the heddle frame. Suitable heddle frames are shown inPatents Nos. 2,047,511 and 2,386,690 which will permit freedom ofmovement of the heddles 10 on the Supporting rods 16.

If desired, and as shown in FIGS. 2 `and 3 the central portion 12 of theheddle 10 can be provided, intermediate its extremities, with at leastone keyhole slot 20 of known type and oriented as desired for engagementby the selector mechanism of the warp drawing-in machine.

Above the center of the heddle 10, a warp eye 21 is provided with itsmargins 22 and 23 offset respectively in opposite directions from themain plane of the strip to provide a large effective eye for the size ofthe strip material, the warp eyes 21 all having their margins 22 and 23offset in the same manner so that they face in the same direction. A

Below the center of the heddle 10, a warp eye 24 is provided with itsmargins 25 and 26 offset respectively in opposite directions from themain plane of the strip, and oppositely from the margins 22 and 23,providing large effective eyes, the warp eyes 24 all having theirmargins 25 and 26 offset in the same manner so that they face in thesame direction but oppositely from the warp eyes 21.

Heddles of the character herein described may be readi ly andinexpensively made without problems as to their formation. The Weight isreduced by shearing out portions on each side thereof along theconnecting portions 13.

The warp eyes 21, above the centers of the heddles are at suitablelocations and properly faced to conform to standards in Europe.

The warp eyes 24 are in the normal direction for entering by thedrawing-in machine commonly used in the United States while the eyes 21are not suited for easy entering in the conventional manner.

Upon the occurrence of wear either at the warp eyes 21 or at the warpeyes 24, the heddles can be turned end for end and the other warp eyesemployed. No difficulties will then be encountered for above center warpthread control by the eyes 21 or for drawing-in of the warp threadsthrough the lower eyes since they will all face in the same direction,and in the direction for which the drawing-in machine was previouslyoperated.

It will accordingly be seen that heddles have been provided with whichthe objects of the invention are accomplished.

I-claim:

1. In loom harness in which a plurality of heddles are arranged side byside on supporting rods,

each of the heddles for the harness comprising a strip of materialhaving mortised end portions with rod eyes for mounting on thesupporting rods and a central portion,

a rst warp eye having side margins oppositely offset from the main planeof the central portion thereby facing said first warp eye in apredetermined direction,

said central portion having a second warp eye in verti cally spacedrelation to said first warp eye and having side margins oppositelyoffset from the main plane of the central portion and oppositely withrespect to the margins of the first warp eye thereby facing said secondwarp eye in an opposite predetermined diretion to said first Warp eye,

all said first warp eyes facing in the same predetermined direction andall said second warp eyes facing in the opposite direction.

2. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which said central portion,between said first and said second eyes, has a slot for drawing-inmachine engagement.

3. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which connecting portions areprovided between said central portion and said end portions, and

at least certain of said heddles have spacers thereon on said connectingportions between said central portion and one of said end portions.

4. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which the end portions havecutouts communicating with the rod eyes.

5. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which the first warp eyes areleft handed eyes.

6. Loom harness as defined in claim 1 in which said strip has itsopposite end portions and central portion of substantially the samewidth,

connecting portions of lesser width are provided between said centralportion and said end portions,

said mortised end portions have a side cut away for free end to endmovement of the heddles on the supporting rods, and

one of said connecting sections has a heddle spacing offset therein.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 825,244 7/1906 Russell 139-961,802,907 4/1931 Costello et al. 139-96 2,426,456 8/1947 Kaufmann 139-96X 2,552,487 5/ 1951 Kaufmann 139-96 2,690,771 10/1954 Consoletti 139-962,840,114 6/1958 Sides 139-96 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,067,829 2/1954 France.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner.

J. KEE CHI, Assistant Examiner,

1. IN LOOM HARNESS IN WHICH A PLURALITY OF HEDDLES ARE ARRANGED SIDE BYSIDE ON SUPPORTING RODS, EACH OF THE HEDDLES FOR THE HARNESS COMPRISINGA STRIP OF MATERIAL HAVING MORTISED END PORTIONS WITH ROD EYES FORMOUNTING ON THE SUPPORTING RODS AND A CENTRAL PORTION, A FIRST WARP EYEHAVING SIDE MARGINS OPPOSITELY OFFSET FROM THE MAIN PLANE OF THE CENTRALPORTION THEREBY FACING SAID FIRST WARP EYE IN A PREDETERMINED DIRECTION,SAID CENTRAL PORTION HAVING A SECOND WARP EYE IN VERTICALLY SPACEDRELATION TO SAID FIRST WARP EYE AND HAVING SIDE MARGINS OPPOSITELYOFFSET FROM THE MAIN PLANE OF THE CENTRAL PORTION AND OPPOSITELY WITHRESPECT TO THE MARGINS OF THE FIRST WARP EYE THEREBY FACING SAID SECONDWARP EYE IN AN OPPOSITE PREDETERMINED DIRECTION TO SAID FIRST WRAP EYE,ALL SAID FIRST WRAP EYES FACING IN THE SAME PREDETERMINED DIRECTION ANDALL SAID SECOND WARP EYES FACING IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.